It was VERY interesting to read Dan Morgan's ruthless evisceration of a review, especially after seeing certain others: "This is Mahler's longest symphony, but in van Zweden's hands, its evocation of nature and predominantly happy mood make it a delight, and the DSO's exuberant playing gives it an energy that is irresistible. Highly recommended." Blair Sanderson, AllMusic

"Those who heard last May’s concert performances, from which these CDs are edited, won’t be surprised. The Mahler Third, an hour and a half long, is a great showpiece of a symphony, of course, with mezzo soloist, women’s and children’s choruses. And DSO music director Jaap van Zweden-led performances of electric intensity balanced by the subtlest of details.

His way of sustaining and inflecting the music over great stretches is almost miraculous. The caressing of phrases in the finale more than lives up to Mahler’s marking, “with heartfelt sensation”; I can’t think of another living conductor who could work such magic. No wonder van Zweden has been tapped as the next music director of the New York Philharmonic.

Overall, this is a powerful, brilliantly played account of the symphony — exquisitely detailed, too. Recording engineers George Gilliam and Roy Cherryhomes and producer/editor Paul Phillips have captured everything in audiophile sonics, vivid and spacious, with an enormous dynamic range." Scott Cantrell, Dallas News

"The finale isn’t the finely spun, slow-building apotheosis it should be; in fact it’s dull, desiccated and just plain awful.

I’d say van Zweden’s Mahler 3 is on a par with Daniel Raiskin’s (C-Avi) and Vladimir Ashkenazy’s (Decca) in terms of sheer ghastliness. It’s recordings like these that make me wish orchestras would think twice before programming or recording Mahler symphonies, even if they do put bums on seats.

As for the DSOLive recording it’s woeful, and no match for the best ‘own labels’ out there. That said, it’s van Zweden who must shoulder the blame for this travesty; he'll have to do a lot better in New York.

I haven't heard the recording myself, but I look forward to it. One, or two, of these reviewers is going to have a lot of egg on his face. This isn't just about differences of opinion, these are reviewers either going out of their way to be nice, or going out of their way to be despicably mean.